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Friday, May 17, 2013

Review ~ Daughter of the Spellcaster (The Portal, #2) by Maggie Shayne

Has a spell been cast?

Lena Dunkirk is a practicing witch, Ryan McNally a wealthy playboy. Logic says mismatch, yet from the first they share a passion that defies reason, as if they know each other from another place, another time. Then Lena gets pregnant and runs for the safety of home.

Months later, when Ryan appears at her door looking to help raise their child, Lena doesn’t know whom to trust–particularly now that “guru to the stars” Bahru has taken an interest in her baby, offering gifts forged of magic.

Soon she and Ryan are sharing eerie dreams of ancient lands, while a vengeful demon plots to take possession of their child. As the moment of birth approaches, the demon’s power rises, forcing the hand of love to wield the blade that will decide the fate of a child’s soul–and the future of the world.

As a huge fan of Maggie Shayne, I was very excited to learn she had written a Trilogy about Warrior witches and the men that love them. The first installment, Mark of the Witch, was an especially well-written introduction to this series. While you could jump right in and start with Daughter of the Spellcaster, I recommend you first read Mark of the Witch. Then immediately follow it up with Blood of The Sorceress. The final book is the capstone; it ties the series up perfectly.

As for Daughter of the Spellcaster, I felt this was the weakest of the three books. As a reader, I like to connect to the characters and get pulled into the story. I was not able to connect with neither Lena nor Ryan. Both were wonderful characters with lots of depth and strong personalities. The author does an incredible job with development and dialogue. There was just something that kept me, the reader, on the outside of the story. However, this book plays an intricate part in the overall tale and should not be overlooked.

Disclosure: This paperback book was provided to me free of charge for the sole purpose of an honest review. All thoughts, comments, and ratings are my own.